Celtics need to get tougher in second half against Knicks

Celtics coach Doc Rivers made it clear that the Knicks were a lot tougher when it mattered when describing his team’s pair of second-half self-destructions in the first two games of its playoff series in New York.

By Scott Souza/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

By Scott Souza/Daily News staff

Posted Apr. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 26, 2013 at 1:47 AM

By Scott Souza/Daily News staff

Posted Apr. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 26, 2013 at 1:47 AM

WALTHAM

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Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn’t go as far as using the "S" word when it came to describing his team’s pair of second-half self-destructions in the first two games of its playoff series in New York.

While he didn’t call his team "soft" he made it clear that the Knicks were a lot tougher when it mattered.

"At the end of the day we cannot be outplayed in the effort department and the desperation department," he admonished during a Wednesday conference call. "I felt like the Knicks played like their season was on the line. We didn’t match that."

The Celtics know they will have to start matching that in Game 3 Friday night at TD Garden or a season that is now currently on the line will soon be over.

"When you’re down 0-2 to a good team that’s playing really well and has a rhythm," Celtics center Kevin Garnett said before Thursday’s practice, "then desperation is definitely in play. We can’t afford to think otherwise. This is it. We cannot go down 0-3 to any team."

"From here on out we have to play with it if we want to continue to play in the postseason," Celtics forward Jeff Green agreed. "We have to play with the desperation, play every game like this could be the last."

The frustrating thing for the Celtics is that they have outplayed New York in five of the eight quarters of the series. But all those positives from the early part of games were washed away in a pair of grotesque displays of offense when those games were on the line.

Boston scored just eight points in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 85-78 loss in which the Celtics were up seven going into the fourth quarter. They then managed just 23 points in the second half of Tuesday’s 87-71 defeat after holding a nine-point lead late in the first half.

"I think in the second half we’ve lacked the aggression that we’ve come out with," Green said. "It’s clear to see when you watch film how hard we’re attacking, how we’re running our offense, our defensive pressure (in the first half). It’s clear that aggression between the two halves is totally different."

The Celtics have also lacked execution – especially in the halfcourt sets. It’s something everyone knew was going to be more of an issue in the postseason than the regular season without a true healthy point guard on the roster following Rajon Rondo’s torn ACL in January, but has been worse at the worst possible times than even Rivers imagined.

"We’ve prepared for it since Rondo went down," Rivers said on Thursday. "We just haven’t handled it well, quite honestly, in the second halves. We haven’t handled the pressure of their defense. We can (handle it). I know we can. I’m positive of that. And we will. But right now we haven’t yet.

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"We can be better. We will be better offensively. We have to be."

Avery Bradley has struggled against defensive pressure in the backcourt, and Paul Pierce has worn down with the responsibility of being asked to be a scorer, facilitator, and defender of one of the top shooters in the league in Carmelo Anthony.

"That’s just asking Paul to do too much," Rivers said. "We were also asking him to guard Carmelo at the time, bring the ball up the floor at times. We’re asking him to be our post passer. Listen, he’s Paul Pierce. He’s not (Superman) Christopher Reeves."

"It all comes with the job," shrugged the captain, who has 11 turnovers through two games. "I wouldn’t be asked to do it if I wasn’t capable of it."

In their first game back home since the Boston Marathon bombings that caused a cancellation of their final home regular season contest last Tuesday, the Celtics know they will all be asked to do a lot of things better on Friday than they did at the end of games in New York.

They know their season depends on it.

"We're anticipating it being very emotional, very inspiring," Garnett said, "and we're looking forward to coming out and trying to get this Game 3."

Scott Souza can be reached at 781-398-8006 or ssouza@wickedlocal.com. He can be reached at 781-398-8006 or ssouza@wickedlocal.com.